little door for chickens on the coop

[Chicken Egg 17]

I put a little rubber flap over my chickens door that they use to go in and out of there coop but that wall of there door faces the way the wind blows and that door is open all the time exept for at night and where i live its starting to get cold so i put a rubber flap over the door but now they wont go through there door so how can i get them to get them to go through there door with out having to take the flap off any replies will be helpfull thank

 

[cavemanrich]

You have to understand that a chicken is not like a dog or cat. They do not push their way thru obstacles such as a dog can be trained to do. My understanding is you are trying to avoid wind drafts from entering coop. Use some type of free standing wind blocker like a piece of plywood or crate and square or flat in shape. A barrel would not work well because it is round and wind would just flow around it into pop door opening. A board placed lean to would be ideal. When not needed during good weather , it can be just removed.

AND

 

[Chicken Egg 17]

I cant really use a peice of plywood and i understand what u mean but then that would block access to the ramp for them to get in the coop and then if i cut an opening in the plywood for them to get in but then still the wind would just blow right through but thanks

 

[Teila]

Howdy Roada Red

Please forgive me if I have not pictured the scenario correctly.

If you close the door at night, this is just to keep the wind reduced during the day while the door is open?

Do you have room to recess a wind break within the coop which will not affect their being able to use the ramp to get in?

I hope that makes sense and I will try and explain further.

So they walk up the ramp, through the open door but then turn to go left or right around the recessed wind break and into the coop.

Granted the wind will still hit the recessed wind break but it will go either side of it, rather than straight down the coop and hopefully, the wind strength will be reduced also.

You could easily make the break removable for times it is not needed.

 

[Cheep N Peep]

cavemanrich and Teila have good suggestions. Picture a tunnel with a right angle turn attached to the pop door, like an L. If it is on the outside of the coop, the tunnel exit faces away from the wind, and the ramp is moved to the 'new' door. If it is inside the coop, the tunnel can face either way, or make a T so there are two new 'doors'. You can still use whatever method you use to close the door at night.

 

[yyz0yyz0]

I do something similar to my door. Instead of a rubber flap I use several layers of plastic that have been sliced into strips, think of a loading dock in the winter. That's what I modeled mine after.

I only close my door in a blizzard or when it's going to be a super cold night. The rest of the time it's just covered with the plastic strips.

I take this plastic down during the warmer months, so every fall I have to "retrain" them to use it. The way I train them is to install the plastic(rubber flap in your case) so it's only extending 1/3rd down over the opening. I give them a couple days to get used to ducking under this then I lower it some more and give them a couple days to deal with it. After maybe a week or so of slowly increasing the amount of the opening that is covered, I end up with the plastic extending all the way down over the opening and the chickens just push through it without hesitation.

Maybe it would be helpful if you cut your flap into strips, this would make it give easier when a chicken tries to poke it's head through.

 

[aart]

Build a pop door 'foyer'!
I had already planned on the awning to keep rain and snow from entering the coop thru the pop door,
but used these spare slider windows to block the prevailing winds.

 

[Chicken Egg 17]

I do something similar to my door.  Instead of a rubber flap I use several layers of plastic that have been sliced into strips, think of a loading dock in the winter.  That's what I modeled mine after.

I only close my door in a blizzard or when it's going to be a super cold night.  The rest of the time it's just covered with the plastic strips.

I take this plastic down during the warmer months, so every fall I have to "retrain" them to use it.  The way I train them is to install the plastic(rubber flap in your case) so it's only extending 1/3rd down over the opening.  I give them a couple days to get used to ducking under this then I lower it some more and give them a couple days to deal with it.  After maybe a week or so of slowly increasing the amount of the opening that is covered, I end up with the plastic extending all the way down over the opening and the chickens just push through it without hesitation.

Maybe it would be helpful if you cut your flap into strips, this would make it give easier when a chicken tries to poke it's head through.

Thanks i will try that i did not think about cutting it into strips is yours clear through or if it were clear would that help them to see that its just a covering over there door

 

[yyz0yyz0]

Thanks i will try that i did not think about cutting it into strips is yours clear through or if it were clear would that help them to see that its just a covering over there door

I guess it's what you would call "clear" plastic but it's really more opaque than clear. Plus with several layers it certainly is not clear. But it does let light through, but when going in at night the coop is darker than outside so they can't see through it at all.

Because I have several layers, the slits in each layer are offset from the next layer. So the seams of one layer are covered by the panels of the next layer.

 

[Chicken Egg 17]

I guess it's what you would call "clear" plastic but it's really more opaque than clear.  Plus with several layers it certainly is not clear.  But it does let light through, but when going in at night the coop is darker than outside so they can't see through it at all.  

Because I have several layers, the slits in each layer are offset from the next layer.  So the seams of one layer are covered by the panels of the next layer.

I only put one layer on but i think im going to put on another layer here